The Towel Rack
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE NS - What might have happened during Last Laugh, a bit of filler, a lot of fluff.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.  
  
Set during and after "Last Laugh", a bit of filler, a bit of fluff, what could have happened.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Nick Stokes sat in one of the layout rooms going over pictures from the scene of what had originally been deemed an accidental death by homicide detective Jim Brass. Brass had seen the grieving husband at a nightclub, getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari, a leggy blond beside him, just three weeks after the fateful day, and he became suspicious. He asked Nick for assistance in investigating the case. Nick was curious why Brass didn't go directly to Grissom on such a case. The response Brass gave him both pleased and surprised him. Brass was working on a hunch and he wanted Nick, not Gil Grissom.  
  
Nick had been reviewing the photos from the scene and he couldn't really tell clearly what had transpired simply from photographs. His gut told him that something wasn't quite right, but a gut feeling wouldn't hold up in court. It was someone else's scene, someone else's interpretation of the evidence. He needed a second opinion. He picked up his cell phone and paged Sara. He valued her opinion professionally, and he really liked finding a reason to be around her personally.  
  
A few minutes later, Sara Sidle poked her head into the layout room, a smile on her lips, "What did you need, Nick?"  
  
Nick looked up at her and gave her a lopsided grin, "A second opinion."  
  
A wry grin spread across Sara's face, "I think that shirt looks fine." She walked in and joined him at the table.  
  
"Very funny, Sidle." Nick commented, trying to suppress a grin. He wondered if Sara knew that her comments about his appearance meant more to him than he let on. He gestured toward the file he was reviewing and handed her the photos, "What do you make of these?"  
  
Sara took the photos from Nick and began to examine them. She perused the original police report and then looked up at Nick quizzically, "It says it was ruled accidental."  
  
"Brass is beginning to think differently," Nick explained.  
  
"He was the one who signed off on this." Sara continued.  
  
They continued to discuss the case. Nick pointing out the photos of the bathroom and the missing towel rack from over the tub. Sara got a glint in her eye and leaned over toward him, "Wanna go to the bathroom."  
  
Nick just grinned and the two of them made their way to the home of the grieving husband, hoping to get a look inside the bathroom in question. As Nick spoke to the husband, Sara admired the Ferrari in the driveway. The husband kept asking her to step away from the car as Nick tried to talk his way into the house. Finally, Sara stepped a little too close to the luxury sports car and set off the alarm. The husband quickly let them into the house, mostly to get Sara away from his precious car. A quick examination of the bathroom showed that the husband had repainted and replaced all of the hardware in the bathroom. As Nick talked with the husband, an idea formed in his mind. He thanked the husband for his trouble and he and Sara quickly left the house.  
  
As they left Sara looked at him quizzically, "You pulled the plug on that rather quickly."  
  
Nick reached for Sara's hand, but instead his fingers trailed down the side of her arm as he explained, "I never thought I'd be happy to see cookie cutter homes. Let's go look at the model."  
  
So now here they were in the master bath of the model home for this modest upper middle class suburban neighborhood. They had mats down in the bathtub and Sara had donned a pair of coveralls and a helmet.  
  
As Nick helped Sara into the bathtub he offered, "Are you sure you want to do this? I could do this for you."  
  
Sara looked at him in response, "Are you kidding, I live for this kind of stuff. Besides, I'm the same height and weight of the vic."  
  
Nick responded without thinking, "You're taller and thinner."  
  
Sara grinned at him as she settled herself in the tub, "Keep on buttering that toast." She was pleased that had Nick noticed her figure, but didn't want to read anything into it, as much as she'd like to.  
  
Nick tried to suppress a grin as a bit of color flushed into his cheeks.  
  
Sara began talking through her take on what might have happened as the vic had tried to get out of the tub, reaching for the towel rack. Sara held onto the towel rack and hung her entire weight on it, figuring it had come out of the wall when the vic had grabbed it for support. It wouldn't budge. She continued to twist as she held onto it, finally coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to be able to pull it out of the wall. She looked over at Nick and he wore a bemused grin on his face. She grinned at him and got out of the tub.  
  
"Here, let me try that." Nick suggested. He stepped into the tub and gripped the towel rack. As he wrenched on it, trying to pull it from the wall, Sara openly admired his physique from behind. After several pulls on the rack and a guttural grunt, Nick finally pulled the rack from the wall.  
  
"I think we can safely assume that our vic didn't try and use the towel rack." Nick concluded as he turned to face Sara who was still staring at him. He smiled at her as she realized she'd been caught staring at him.  
  
Sara quickly turned away to get an evidence bag and to try and regain normal color in her face. When she turned back to Nick, he was still openly smiling at her. 


	2. The Locker Room

Nick and Sara made their way back to the lab. Sara drove and Nick called Brass to report to him what they had found. Nick indicated that he was going to need a warrant to have the vic's body exhumed so that Al Robbins the night shift coroner could take another look at the body.  
  
When they arrived back at the lab, Nick checked the towel rack into evidence. Afterward, he made his way to the locker room, where Sara was stowing her coveralls into her locker. A smiled crept across his face as he walked up behind her.  
  
Sara felt Nick's breath on her neck before she heard him whisper in her ear, "So, you like my shirt, huh?"  
  
Sara tried to suppress a grin as she turned to face Nick. She found herself standing face to face with him, their faces inches apart. Her heart caught in her throat. She wondered if he knew what he was doing to her by standing this close. She was very aware of his muscular frame as he stood there grinning at her. She swallowed and looked up at him with a mischievous grin of her own, "It's alright."  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up in amusement, "Alright, eh? Earlier it was fine." He wondered to himself if she knew what she did to him. Standing this close to her, he was so tempted to just reach out and pull her body to his and kiss her senseless. He valued his life though, and to kiss Sara Sidle out of the blue, he wasn't sure it was worth risking bodily injury, yet.  
  
Sara eyed Nick's lips. A smile now played at hers. Unconsciously, she licked her lips. She looked up into Nick's eyes again, "The shirt's ok. But the body in it, now that's fine." Her voice was slightly husky. She couldn't believe she was openly flirting with Nick. Her face wore an 'I dare you' expression. She wanted to kiss him so badly, she wished he would just push her up against the lockers and press his body against hers while kissing her senseless.  
  
"I think I've heard you say that before." Nick remembered Sara blatantly flirting with him when she first joined the team. In particular, she walked in one day when he was changing his shirt and she commented on his physique. He smiled at her, "You're not so bad yourself, Sara."  
  
She crossed her arms in front of her and raised an eyebrow, "Not so bad, hmm?" She smiled at him teasingly.  
  
A lopsided grin reached across Nick's face. He leaned toward Sara and whispered in her ear, "You're sexy as hell, Sara."  
  
Sara's heart began to race as she felt Nick's breath in her ear.  
  
A fraction of an inch separated their bodies. The tension between them was dizzying. Nick pulled his face away from Sara's ear. He looked into her eyes and glanced at her lips. Slowly, Nick moved his lips toward Sara's, his eyes moving between her eyes and her mouth.  
  
Sara could feel his breath on her lips. She stool still, waiting.  
  
Nick's cell phone rang at his belt. Nick let out a frustrated sigh as he pulled away from Sara, "Stokes."  
  
Sara leaned back against her locker and let out a deep breath, trying to get her heart rate under control.  
  
"Hey, Brass. That's great. Thanks. We'll meet you there." Nick continued. He looked at Sara as he ended the call, "Brass got the warrant. He's meeting us at the cemetery."  
  
Sara just nodded, "Meet you in the parking lot." Sara left the locker room with a slight grin on her face. She'd been a fraction of an inch from kissing Nick Stokes. Damn those cell phones.  
  
Nick stood there in the locker room. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to get his heart rate under control. He had almost kissed Sara Sidle senseless. Damn cell phone. He took a couple of deep breaths and followed Sara out into the parking lot. 


	3. Breathing

Sara sat in the driver's seat of the Tahoe trying to breathe normally. She needed to focus and put her professional face on. By the time Nick climbed into the passenger side of the SUV, Sara's heart rate was almost normal. "Brass said he'd meet us there." Nick stated trying not to look at Sara too long. His heart rate was almost normal, but if he let his thoughts stray too far, he wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand.  
  
Sara drove to the cemetery where Brass was waiting with the warrant and the coroner to have the vic's body exhumed. As they waited for the grave to be dug up, Nick and Sara stole glances at each other and tried to stifle grins each time they caught each other looking. Brass either didn't notice, or he ignored the interaction. Al noticed, but kept his comments to himself.  
  
Sara photographed the exhumation and Nick took notes, to ensure that their trail of documentation was as complete as possible.  
  
The pair of CSIs followed the coroner's van back to the lab without the benefit of conversation, save but a bit of small talk. They exited the Tahoe, still stealing glances at each other.  
  
As they entered the lab, Grissom stopped Sara in the hall, "Sara, I need you to help Catherine with something. I'm sure Nick can handle Brass' case."  
  
"Sure, Gris." Sara replied, glancing at Nick with a lopsided smile. "See you later, Nicky."  
  
Nick tried to suppress a full grin, "Have fun, Sara." He watched her walk down the hallway admiring her slim form.  
  
Grissom noticed the glances between the two younger CSIs, but kept his comments to himself, instead, asking Nick, "How's the case?"  
  
"Well we had enough reasonable doubt to get a warrant and have the body of the wife exhumed." Nick replied. "I'm on my way to meet Al for the autopsy."  
  
"Just remember, Nick. Evidence is the only thing that speaks. Stick to that, no matter how distasteful the suspect is." Grissom stated.  
  
"Always." Nick replied, heading toward the autopsy room.  
  
As Al began the process of preparing the body for autopsy, he had Nick remove the vic's makeup with cold cream. An odd thought crossed his mind as he wondered what Sara used to remove makeup from her face. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  
  
As they continued to take a closer look at the body, they noticed a hand print shaped bruise on the vic's face, sure evidence that she had in fact been held against her will under water. Not necessarily enough to convict the husband, especially since they didn't have enough evidence to place him at the scene, but enough to place reasonable doubt in the mind of the insurance company who had issued the same policy the husband had used to buy his new Ferrari.  
  
As shift came to an end, Nick found himself alone in the locker room. He let out a deep breath and stowed his jacket in his locker. He pulled off his shirt and reached into his locker to get a fresh one. He heard the locker room door open. A smiled tugged at his mouth. He felt her behind him, before he heard her whisper into his ear, "Hmm, I was right, the body under the shirt is fine."  
  
Nick turned around to face a grinning Sara, his shirt still in his hand. He crossed his arms in front of him and smiled at her, taking in all of her with his eyes, "And you're still sexy as hell, Sara."  
  
She stepped closer to him, teasing him, "What are you going to do about it, Nicky?"  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. Did she have any idea what he wanted to do to her? He let out a deep breath, "What do you want me to do about it, Sar?"  
  
Sara stopped in her tracks. She knew if they crossed the line from flirting to actually acting on it, their relationship would change dramatically. She looked away from Nick and let out a deep breath.  
  
Nick reached over and caressed her cheek with his fingers. Her eyes looked up into his and she couldn't help but melt. She searched his eyes and glanced at his lips. Standing this close to Nick, who still held his shirt in his hand, was almost too much. Nick leaned toward her and heard Sara take a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes fluttered closed. She could feel his breath on her cheek, as he whispered, "Not here. Not now. We're both off the schedule tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at 6:00. Dress warm." Nick's lips brushed her cheek.  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered open as she nodded her reply. Nick pulled his shirt on and kissed his fingertips before placing them on Sara's lips.  
  
Sara whispered, "See you then."  
  
Nick smiled and left the locker room leaving Sara standing there with a dopey grin on her face. 


	4. First Date

Sara had a difficult time sleeping. Her mind was in overdrive. Nick Stokes was taking her out on a date. When she had sufficiently tossed and turned, she finally got up and showered. She let her hair dry into its natural curl, and she opted to forego makeup. She didn't really wear it much anyway. Nick had said to dress warm. As she perused her closet, that thought threw her for a loop. Wasn't this Nick Stokes, ladies man? She would have thought he would have suggested dressing up and going clubbing. Well, he knew she wasn't really into that. She smiled. She finally decided on a comfortably broken in pair of button fly Levis, a snug T-shirt, and a Harvard sweatshirt. She pulled a Carhart jacket out of the back of the closet to top it off. Now she just needed to find her boots. As she searched around the bottom of her closet, she heard a knock at her door. Boots in hand, she walked to the front door and looked through the peep- hole. She smiled; it was Nick a nervous expression on his face as he looked at the doormat. He looked up and grinned at her as the door opened. He was similarly attired. Only he wore a sweatshirt with his fraternity symbol on it.  
  
"Hey, Nick, come in." Sara opened the door wide. "I just have to put my boots on."  
  
He continued to grin at her as she sat down on the couch and put her boots on. "Did you eat anything?"  
  
She looked up at him with a quizzical expression, "Should I have?"  
  
He shook his head, "No. And don't worry, everything is vegetarian friendly."  
  
A grin spread across Sara's face revealing the gap in her front teeth, "Thanks, Nicky." She finished tying her boots and stood up. "Ok, I'm ready. Where are you taking me?"  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out, Sara Sidle," Nick teased.  
  
She grinned back, "Is that right?" She stepped toward him, a mischievous grin on her face.  
  
Nick chuckled at her as they walked out the front door. Sara locked it behind them. As they walked toward his Tahoe, Nick took her hand. Sara glanced over at him with a surprised, but pleased look on her face. She squeezed his hand, reassuring him that it was ok with her. Nick opened the passenger side of the Tahoe for her and then walked around to the driver's side. As he started the ignition, country music blasted out from the radio.  
  
Sara chuckled and grinned, "Do all Texans come preprogrammed to listen to country music?"  
  
Nick flashed her a grin and in his distinct Texan drawl he replied, "It's in our DNA."  
  
Sara laughed at him and swatted at his arm.  
  
"Seriously though, Sara, if you don't like it we can listen to something else." Nick offered.  
  
Sara shook her head, "No, I want to get to know the real Nick Stokes, and this is part of the package deal."  
  
Nick chuckled, "Ok, well I'll make it a little easier on you. If you look in the glove box, you'll find a couple of CDs. I think you'll like Sarah Evans or Faith Hill."  
  
Sara looked over the selection of CDs, "Hey, I've heard this song before. I like 'I Hope You Dance'."  
  
Nick smiled at Sara as she sang along with the song as they threaded their way outside the city limits of Vegas and into the hills. They finally pulled off onto a dirt road and headed toward a bluff that overlooked the city. Nick pulled the Tahoe to a stop and turned the engine off. He turned toward Sara and smiled, "We're here."  
  
Sara grinned, "Where is here?"  
  
"Just a place I like to come and think." Nick replied opening the door and stepping out of the SUV. He opened the back door and pulled out a cooler and a blanket.  
  
Sara had stepped out of the Tahoe and made her way around to where Nick was placing the cooler on the ground and spreading the blanket out. "So, what's for dinner, Nicky?"  
  
Nick grinned at her as she settled herself on the blanket. He started pulling containers out of the cooler and then handed Sara a plate, "Well, I thought it would be safe if we had a little Mediterranean fare, hummus, pita, cucumber salad, tatziki sauce, and spannikopita. I even got baklava for dessert."  
  
Sara looked at Nick with a bit of disbelief, "You didn't make this did you?"  
  
Nick chuckled, "No, Sar, I went to a Greek deli. It was all I could do to convince them I didn't want lamb."  
  
Sara started eating, "This is really good."  
  
"I'm glad you like it," Nick replied, helping himself.  
  
They ate, talking about work, their families, their childhoods. After they finished eating, Nick stowed the food back in the cooler. Sara looked over at Nick, "What's next on the agenda, Mr. Stokes?"  
  
He looked at her and gave her a shy grin, "I thought we could just look at the stars. You never get to see them in Vegas because there are so many lights."  
  
Sara chuckled, "Are you going to tell me what the constellations are? I never did take astronomy." She scooted over toward Nick so she was no longer across from him, but right next to him.  
  
"Sure, Sar," Nick turned and grinned at her. He put his arm around her shoulder and began pointing out the stars to her. Sara slid her arms around Nick's waist. Nick continued pointing to different constellations.  
  
Sara snuggled closer, "Do the constellations look the same in Texas?"  
  
Nick chuckled, "Yeah,"  
  
He turned to look at her, his hand cupping the side of her face. He looked into her eyes in the moonlight. She licked her lips unconsciously as she looked back into his eyes. He smiled at her and leaned toward her, slowly. She felt his breath on her lips. As his lips touched hers, she smiled. The kiss was soft and sweet. Nick pulled away and searched Sara's face. She leaned up and kissed him. He smiled and responded by pulling her closer to him. Her arms snaked up his chest and around his neck. Nick deepened the kiss, tasting her lips over and over. Sara parted her lips slightly and her tongue began teasing Nick. A moan escaped Nick's lips as he parted them. Sara's tongue thrust into Nick's mouth and found itself in an intimate dance with his. Her arms tightened around his neck and she began to lean back onto the blanket, pulling Nick with her. One of Nick's hands tangled in her hair and the other gripped her side. Sara's fingers ran through Nick's hair. Their legs intertwined. All rational thought seemed to leave them as they continued kissing and touching. Sara's hands found their way under Nick's shirt in search of bare skin. Nick's hand found its way under Sara's shirt, caressing her stomach with his fingers. Sara's fingers dipped below the waste band of Nick's jeans. Nick began unbuttoning Sara's button fly Levis.  
  
The seriousness of where they were headed started sinking in, and they simultaneously pulled away from each other panting.  
  
Nick looked down at Sara, "I'm sorry, Sara, we should stop."  
  
Sara nodded trying to catch her breath, "Yeah." She buttoned her jeans.  
  
Nick lay back on the blanket, one arm above his head, the other resting on his stomach.  
  
Sara looked over at him smiling. She reached over and grabbed his hand pulling it to rest between them, "This might be safer."  
  
Nick grinned, "Yeah."  
  
They lay there for a while looking at the stars, holding hands. Finally, Nick rolled on his side to face Sara, "We should head back."  
  
"Ok," She rolled onto her side, and leaned in and kissed him. She felt him smile into the kiss and then break it, placing his fingers on her lips.  
  
He looked at her with a serious expression, "I don't want to start something we can't finish, Sar."  
  
"Who says we can't finish it, Nicky." Her voice was seductive and there was an edge of hurt in it.  
  
"Sar, I care about you too much to push things too quickly. Let's take it slow and see where it takes us, ok." Nick replied, tracing her features with his fingers.  
  
"Ok." She leaned in a kissed him again, softly. She pulled back and grinned at him.  
  
Nick stood up and offered her his hand to help her up. They packed up the Tahoe and headed back to Vegas. 


	5. A Suprise

Author's Note: Ok, so some of you are skeptical about the blatant flirting between Nick and Sara. Ok, so maybe you should do a little episode research. I have. In the first season, Sara was bordering on obnoxious the way she flirted with Nick (and he ate it up, but never did anything about it). There was an episode where she walked in on him and Warrick changing in the locker room and made a comment to Nick as he stood there with no shirt on about how fine his body was. She also made comment about his clothing choice, which as soon as she walked out of the room, he changed. In another first season episode, she made a comment to Nick in front of the entire team, which caused him to respond, and I quote, "stop flirting with me." Of course, he seemed to be enjoying it. There has been an undercurrent of flirting between the two of them since day one. Lot's of touching, especially during the first season. There seems to be a protectiveness growing in Nick for Sara in third season. Did anyone catch in "Playing With Fire" that Nick had talked to Grissom about Sara trying to bust a suspect. He didn't even witness it, Brass did. That isn't the only time that Nick's name is brought up specifically with regards to concern for Sara. Am I the only one who caught the looks on Nick's face during "Last Laugh"? If a guy looked at me the way he kept looking at Sara, yowza. Look for the subtle clues, they end up being huge in the long run. My personal opinion is that he's feeling something a little stronger than brotherly feelings for her. (Not to say that Sara, or the writers will make it so). So, watch your episodes (I have all CSI episodes either on DVD or VHS) and then get back to me.  
  
Ok, so here I am taking liberties with Nick and Sara.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*  
  
Nick pulled into the parking lot of Sara's apartment complex. It was about 2am and things were fairly quiet. Nick and Sara walked to her front door hand in hand. As they approached the door, Sara stopped in her tracks. The front door was ajar. They both knew that she had locked it when they had left and they looked at each other momentarily. Nick pulled at Sara's hand, urging her back to the Tahoe, "Sara, let's go back to the Tahoe and call PD. Neither of us is armed."  
  
She nodded and they made their way back to the Tahoe. Sara pulled out her cell phone and punched in 9-1-1.  
  
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"  
  
"This is Sara Sidle from the Crime Lab, there's been a break in at my apartment. I came home and the door was open. No, I haven't gone inside the apartment. No, I'm not alone. Yeah, I'll wait in my vehicle. Thanks. Yeah, here's the address." Sara gave the operator her address and hung up.  
  
"You ok, Sar?" Nick asked with a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Yeah, it just feels weird though to have someone in my apartment when I'm not there, you know." She looked at Nick and reached over and squeezed his hand, "Of course you know. I'm sorry, Nicky."  
  
"No problem, Sara." Nick replied.  
  
Flashing lights broke through the darkness. The officers had kept the sirens off in case there was still someone inside Sara's apartment. Nick and Sara got out of the Tahoe to speak with the officers.  
  
"Nick. Sara." Officer Randy Jones and his partner Bill Spencer, got out of the police cruiser.  
  
"Hey, Randy. Bill. I was just dropping Sara off and her door was open." Nick explained.  
  
"We didn't go inside," Sara added, concern etched on her face.  
  
Randy grinned, "Wouldn't expect any less from you CSIs. I'm sure it's just a burglary. There's been several in this neighborhood in the last couple of days. Bill and I'll check it out."  
  
"Thanks, man." Nick replied placing his hand on Sara's shoulder and giving it a squeeze as the two officers entered Sara's apartment. A few moments later, Randy and Bill exited radios in hand. Their faces were set with serious expressions.  
  
Randy walked up to Nick and Sara, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Sara, but it looks like our perp is still in there, and he's not breathing."  
  
Nick and Sara shared a shocked expression, "Call Brass."  
  
"Already done. I'm sure he'll pull your team in on this one too." Randy walked away from Nick and Sara.  
  
"I could have been in there, Nick." Sara looked up at Nick, a bit of fear in her eyes.  
  
"But you weren't in there, Sara." Nick pulled her into a bear hug and leaned back against the Tahoe.  
  
A siren and several pairs of flashing lights broke through the night. Sara pulled out of Nick's embrace. Brass stepped out of his Taurus and walked over to Nick and Sara. "Officer Jones says you called 9-1-1 to report a break in and when they entered the apartment to check out the scene they found a db."  
  
Nick nodded, "I was dropping Sara off, and we noticed the door was ajar. She locked it before we left around 6:00."  
  
"Yeah, Brass, we didn't go in, neither of us is armed." Sara added looking over at the homicide detective.  
  
"Ok." Brass responded, "I'm going to need to know where you were earlier this evening, and exactly what happened when you returned."  
  
Nick noticed Grissom, Warrick, and Catherine getting out of a Tahoe and making their way toward them. He shot Sara a glance.  
  
Brass gave them both a grizzled smile, "Why don't you just start at the beginning."  
  
Nick looked at Brass and gestured behind him, "Might as well wait for the rest of the group to join us."  
  
Brass turned to see the other three CSIs approaching, "Ok."  
  
Grissom, Warrick, and Catherine joined the trio. Grissom spoke, "What's going on?"  
  
Brass turned toward him, "I was just about to get to that. Nicky wanted to wait for the whole group."  
  
Everyone's attention turned to Nick and Sara. The pair exchange a glance and then Sara began to speak, "Nick was dropping me off about 2am. He walked me to the door, but it was ajar. When we left here about 6:00, I locked the door. We didn't go into the apartment, we went back to Nick's Tahoe and called 9-1-1." She spoke succinctly and looked at each of them directly in the eye.  
  
The group looked at Nick for confirmation, "I saw Sara lock the door before we left. From a few feet away, it looked like forced entry."  
  
Grissom looked over at Catherine and Warrick, "Warrick, you and I are inside on the db. Catherine, I want you to stay here with Brass and get a statement from Nick and Sara."  
  
Warrick nodded and headed back to the Tahoe to retrieve his kit. Grissom followed.  
  
Catherine crossed her arms and cocked her head as she looked at Nick and Sara, "So, where were you for the last 8 hours?"  
  
Brass just stood their stoically.  
  
Nick looked over at Sara before responding to Catherine, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "On a date."  
  
Sara also tried to suppress a grin.  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow, "A date. The two of you?"  
  
Sara nodded, "First date."  
  
"Pardon me for being skeptical, but you don't looked dressed for a date." Catherine had a quizzical expression as she looked at how Nick and Sara were dressed.  
  
"We were star gazing, Cath." Nick responded.  
  
A sly grin spread over Catherine's face, "Oh, is that what they're calling it now, Nicky?"  
  
Sara blushed.  
  
"Ok, so you were on a date. Anyone see you there?" Catherine observed Nick and Sara squirming, "Ok, so that was the point, to be alone. No witnesses then."  
  
"Catherine, you're enjoying this far too much," Nick commented.  
  
Brass let out a laugh.  
  
Catherine grinned and winked at Nick, "Oh, yeah. Besides, I think I win the pool we had going to see how long it would take you two to get together."  
  
A shocked expression crossed Sara's face, "There was a pool?!? Just how many people were in on this?"  
  
Brass responded, "Uh, let's see, me, Catherine, Warrick, Greg, Archie, Jackie, Al, and I think Bobby. Grissom doesn't see the point in gambling, so he didn't throw anything in."  
  
Nick chuckled as he looked over at Sara. She looked at him, trying to retain her indignant stand, but started grinning instead. Nick looked over at Catherine, "So what does the winner get?"  
  
Catherine looked over at Brass with a quizzical expression, "What would you say, Brass, about $3500."  
  
"What!" Nick and Sara exclaimed. Sara crossed her arms in front of her, "Just how long has this wager been going on?"  
  
"Since you were hired, Sara." Catherine responded with a sly grin.  
  
"You didn't know anything about this, Nick Stokes?" Sara exclaimed.  
  
"Nope." Nick held his hands up.  
  
Brass cleared his throat, "Not that I want to ruin your first date and all, but we have an investigation going on here. You know how it works, you called it in, you're the first suspects."  
  
Nick nodded, feeling quite subdued, memories of Kristy Hopkin's murder came to mind. He had confidence in the night shift CSIs to uncover the truth.  
  
Sara's face turned all business, "Ok, Cath, go ahead."  
  
Catherine retrieved her kit and took DNA samples from both Nick and Sara. She tested each of their hands for GSR, and took photographs of their hands, as well as their shoes. "I hate to do this, but I'm going to need your clothes." She handed each of them a pair of coveralls and had each of them deposit their clothes in an evidence bag.  
  
Catherine looked at Sara when she had finished, "Sara, you know your apartment is a crime scene, you can't stay here. What are you going to do?"  
  
"She can stay with me, I have an extra room." Nick offered.  
  
Sara looked at Nick with a slightly embarrassed grin, "Thanks, Nicky."  
  
Brass raised his eyebrows and commented, "Ok, if we have any more questions, we'll contact you at Nicky's."  
  
Catherine wore a slightly bemused grin, "Ok, Sara, I'll let you know when we've cleared the scene and I can come by and get you some extra clothes. I assume you've got some at work."  
  
Sara nodded.  
  
"Ok, I'll stop by Nick's at the end of shift with them then." Catherine offered.  
  
"Thanks, Cath." Sara replied.  
  
"We'll see you later, Cath." Nick replied, taking Sara by the hand and leading her to his Tahoe. 


	6. A Movie

Nick drove home. He and Sara didn't talk much on the drive, each lost in their own thoughts. He pulled his Tahoe into the driveway and turned off the ignition. They exited the vehicle and walked to Nick's front door hand in hand. They entered the house and Nick turned the light on and tossed his keys on the table near the phone. He turned to Sara, "Hey, Sar, I'm going to go change. Do you want to borrow some clothes or something until Catherine comes by?"  
  
Sara smirked, "Uh, sure, but I have a feeling they'll be too big."  
  
Nick flashed her a grin, "I've got a pair or two of drawstring sweats. I think they might fit you."  
  
"Ok, thanks." A smile played at the edges of her mouth.  
  
Nick disappeared down the hallway a few minutes later wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a gray Texas Ranger's T-shirt. In his hand he held out a pair of navy blue sweats and a red T-shirt, "I'm sure these will be much more comfortable than those coveralls until you get some of your own clothes. You can change in the bathroom if you want."  
  
Sara gratefully took them and smiled at him, "Thank, Nick." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before heading down the hallway toward the bathroom to change.  
  
Nick grinned.  
  
Sara emerged a few minutes later, swimming in the sweats and the T-shirt which had 'Don't Mess With Texas' emblazoned on the front. A smiled tugged at her lips, "Nice T-shirt, Nicky."  
  
Nick tried to suppress a chuckle, "I thought you might like it."  
  
She swatted at his arm, a grin playing at her mouth.  
  
An awkward silence descended. Nick glanced over at Sara, "Hey, do you want to watch a movie or something?"  
  
She smiled, "Sure."  
  
Sara settled herself on the couch and Nick turned on the TV and began looking through his DVD collection. "What do you think about his one?" Nick asked, holding up 'Lethal Weapon 3'.  
  
Sara smiled, "Sounds good. I like those, they actually have a plot."  
  
Nick grinned and put the DVD in the player and joined Sara on the couch. Sara leaned against him after he sat down. He smiled at her and pulled his arm around her. Sara smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. As the movie played, Nick found himself playing with Sara's hair. Sara lay her head on his shoulder.  
  
As the movie finished, Nick looked at Sara, his fingers stroking her arm, "This is nice."  
  
Sara looked up at him and smiled, "Yeah, but this is even nicer." She cupped his cheek with her hand and pulled him into a soft, yet sensuous kiss. Sara's lips slowly moved over Nick's. In response, he tangled his fingers in her hair and deepened the kiss, his tongue moving past her lips as she parted them. Their tongues tasted every part of each others mouths as they danced intimately. Nick pulled Sara closer to him as they continued this passion infused kiss. The need for air pulled them apart.  
  
Nick tried to catch his breath, he looked into Sara's eyes, "Have I told you that I think you're beautiful, Sara Sidle?"  
  
Sara grinned, resting her forehead against his, "Has anyone ever told you that you're an amazing kisser, Nick Stokes?"  
  
Nick grinned, "Oh, maybe once or twice. You're not so bad yourself, Sara."  
  
"Not bad, huh? Well, we'll just have to see about that." Sara pulled him into another kiss. Her tongue demanded entry into Nick's mouth, and he readily complied. Her kiss was demanding and full of passion and want. A groan escaped Nick's throat. The need for air once again pulled them apart.  
  
Breathless, Nick tried to speak, "That was amazing, Sara."  
  
Sara smiled brushing her thumb over his bottom lip, "That's more like it, Nicky." She leaned back into the couch trying to catch her breath.  
  
A knock sounded at the door. Nick stood, "That should be Catherine." He walked over to the door and opened it. Not only was Catherine standing there, but Warrick was as well.  
  
Warrick had a bemused grin on his face as he took in Sara's mussed appearance and the T-shirt she wore, "Nice shirt, Sara." He and Catherine entered Nick's house and Catherine walked over to Sara and handed her the bag of clothes from her locker.  
  
"Thanks, Cath." Sara took the bag gratefully.  
  
Catherine smirked at the shirt Sara had on, "You know if it was me, it would have been a coin toss between the coveralls and Nick's shirt."  
  
"Very funny." Sara responded.  
  
Catherine turned towards Nick and noticed his Texas Ranger's T-shirt, "Nick, do you own a T-shirt that doesn't have something to do with Texas?"  
  
Nick tried to suppress a grin, "I'll have you know, that I am proud to be from the state of Texas."  
  
"That would be a no." Warrick concluded chuckling.  
  
Catherine took in the mussed appearance of Sara's hair, "We didn't interrupt anything did we? I mean you are still technically on your first date." Catherine had an amused look on her face.  
  
"Nothing that you need to know about." Nick stated, a hint of color in his cheeks.  
  
"I guess that answers that question." Catherine observed.  
  
"It's about time. We were beginning to wonder if you two would ever stop flirting and just go for it." Warrick commented.  
  
Changing the subject, Nick asked, "When do you think the scene will be cleared?"  
  
Catherine answered, "Well, we finished processing the scene, but you know how this works, Nicky. Probably a week, maybe two. It just depends on what we find when we run the evidence through the lab."  
  
"How was the vic killed?" Nick asked.  
  
Warrick answered, "You know we can't tell you, Nick. That's Grissom's call."  
  
"I know." Nick replied. He ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
Catherine turned to Sara, "If you get sick of Nick's guest room, you can stay with one of us."  
  
Sara tried to suppress a grin, "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Warrick chuckled, "Hey, we need to get going, we still have a couple hours until shift is over. See you tonight."  
  
Nick saw Catherine and Warrick to the door. As he closed the door behind them he turned to face Sara who was yawning. A smile played at his lips, "Hey, Sara, let me show you the guest room."  
  
She tried to stifle the yawn, "I'm not tired."  
  
Nick grinned and raised an eyebrow at her, "Sara, you're a terrible liar."  
  
She grinned at him and followed him down the hallway into the guest room. The room had a masculine flare to it. Pictures from Nick's college days hung on the wall, as well as several pictures of his family.  
  
"Get some sleep, Sar. If you need anything, I'm just across the hall, ok." Nick kissed her softly before stepping out of the room and closing the door.  
  
Sara smiled and fell asleep almost as soon as she lay on the bed still wearing Nick's clothes. 


	7. Tickle Fight

Sara woke in a cold sweat gasping for breath. Images of her apartment in chaos with dead bodies strewn about had pulled her from sleep. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was and why she was there. She was at Nick's in his guest room. She couldn't tell what time it was, there was no clock in the room, and the heavy wooden shutters effectively blocked out the light. She got up out of the bed and softly opened the bedroom door. The lights in the rest of the house were out, she looked at Nick's closed bedroom door and she figured that he was asleep. She wondered if he really meant it when he said she could wake him if she needed anything and if this qualified. She wandered down the hall and into the kitchen. She flipped on the light above the stove, the clock on the stove said 9am. She'd only been asleep about four hours. It took her a few tries, but she finally located the cupboard where the glasses were. She went to the sink and got herself a glass of water. She took a few sips and then decided she wasn't really thirsty, emptying the rest of the contents into the sink. She walked softly back down the hallway and started back into the guest room. She hesitated for a moment and then walked across the hallway. She let out a deep breath before she open the door to Nick's bedroom. In a whisper she called out, "Nick? Nick? Nicky?"  
  
A groggy voice answered her, "Yeah, Sara?" Nick sat up in his bed. It took a few moments for his mind to adjust, "Are you ok? Do you need something?"  
  
Tentatively, Sara answered, "Uh, I can't sleep. I had a nightmare."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Nick offered rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
"Would that be ok?" Sara sounded unsure.  
  
Nick yawned audibly, "Yeah, come here."  
  
Sara walked over to Nick's bed and sat down on the edge of it, "I'm sorry for waking you up."  
  
"It's ok, Sar." He reached out and pulled her into a hug. He could tell she was sweaty, her hair was damp and the shirt clung to her small frame. "What was it about?"  
  
Sara leaned into Nick's arms, "It was my apartment. Everything was smashed up. My furniture was sliced up and there were dead bodies everywhere."  
  
Nick hugged her a little tighter.  
  
"I know it shouldn't bother me, I mean we see stuff like that everyday." Sara tried to rationalize.  
  
Nick whispered in Sara's ear, "Sar, it's different when it's your stuff and your place."  
  
"Nick?" Sara said tentatively.  
  
"Yeah, Sar?" Nick replied softly.  
  
"Can I stay in here with you? I mean would you just hold me for a while? I'm kind of scared; I don't want to be alone." Sara explained.  
  
"Yeah," Nick answered.  
  
He scooted over on the bed and made room for her to slip beneath the covers next to him. Nick wrapped his arms around her and Sara laid her head on his shoulder, her arm slung over his chest. Nick stroked her hair until he heard her breathing even out and he knew that she was asleep. Shortly thereafter, he drifted off to sleep as well.  
  
Sara stirred from sleep several hours later. A nervous smile tugged at her mouth as she realized her shirt had ridden up and Nick's hand was splayed across her bare stomach. She lay there not quite ready to get up.  
  
Nick began to stir. He smiled as he realized that Sara lay in bed next to him. He realized where his hand had strayed while they slept, and he began to move it from under her shirt to rest on her hip. A grin spread across his face and he began planting kisses on Sara's neck.  
  
Sara squirmed next to him and giggled, "Nick Stokes, that tickles."  
  
"Sara Sidle, I didn't know you were ticklish." Nick continued kissing Sara's neck until she rolled onto her back. He grinned at her and rolled on top of her pushing her shirt further up and tickling her sides. Sara continued giggling and pulled at Nick's shirt trying to find a ticklish spot on his sides. Nick continued tickling Sara until he grazed her breast with his fingers. They both stopped and locked eyes. Nick pulled his hand away and whispered, "I'm sorry, Sara."  
  
Sara looked into Nick's eyes before whispering back, "I'm not." She raised her hand to his face and traced his lips with her fingers. Nick still rested on top of Sara and he leaned down and kissed her lips softly, tangling his fingers in her hair. The kiss started like a smoldering fire and quickly caught flame. As their tongues danced ferociously, their hands roamed and explored. The need for air caused them to break the kiss.  
  
"Sara." Nick whispered. "We've got to stop."  
  
Sara tried to catch her breath, "I know, Nick, it's too soon."  
  
"We've got a lot to talk about before we take that step." He searched her eyes and caressed her forehead with his fingers.  
  
"Yeah," Sara nodded.  
  
Nick rolled off Sara and lay on his back. He let out a deep breath. Sara rolled onto her side and looked at him, "Nick, I'm going to go take a shower."  
  
"Ok," Nick looked at her with an adoring expression on his face; he traced her cheek with his finger.  
  
Sara got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom to take a shower. Nick laid his hands on his forehead and tried to get his breathing back to normal before getting up to get ready for work. 


	8. A Talk

Sara stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered, and thankful to be in her own clothes. She went in search of Nick to let him know the shower was free. She found him standing in the kitchen wearing sweats and a T-shirt sipping a glass of orange juice.  
  
"Hey, Nick, shower's all yours." Sara smiled.  
  
Nick had a serious expression on his face, "Hey, Sara. Can we talk first?"  
  
"Uh, sure." Sara answered her face betrayed the worry that she was feeling.  
  
"Want some OJ?" Nick offered with a lopsided smile trying to put Sara at ease.  
  
Sara nodded and a faint smile played at her lips. Nick poured her a glass of orange juice and then beckoned Sara to follow him over to the couch. He let out a deep breath and then turned to face her, "Sara, I'm not sure how to say this. Things between us are moving really fast. I know what my reputation is and part of it's true, but most of it is just talk."  
  
Sara placed her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Nick, I don't care what your reputation is. I care about you. I like being with you."  
  
Nick restrained a smile, "Thanks, Sara. I care about you too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to rush into a sexual relationship with you. Don't get me wrong, Sara, I want you. I want you in the worst way."  
  
Sara blushed, "The feeling's mutual, Nick."  
  
Nick grinned and took her hand as he continued, "I just want to make sure if we're together that it's for the right reasons before we take that kind of step. Especially since we work together almost everyday."  
  
Sara mulled that thought over and nodded.  
  
"Sara, I haven't been with anyone since Kristy Hopkins was murdered." Nick stated, waiting for Sara's reaction.  
  
An expression of surprise crossed Sara's face as she looked at him and she set down her orange juice, "I had no idea."  
  
"It's not like I've been shouting it from the top of the Stratosphere." Nick continued, "Sara, I've never really thought about the consequences of my actions with women until she was murdered. In retrospect, I can see that I've hurt a lot of people trying to cover up my own issues."  
  
Sara looked at him quizzically.  
  
Nick paused for a few moments as he tried to collect his thoughts. He blinked back tears, "Sara, when I was nine years old, I was molested by a last minute babysitter." A tear slid down his cheek.  
  
Compassion filled Sara's face. She reached over and brushed the tear away with her fingers.  
  
He looked into her eyes, "No one but Catherine knows that."  
  
"Oh, Nick." Sara put her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.  
  
"Let's just take this slow, ok, Sara." Nick concluded resting his chin on her head.  
  
"Yeah." She replied. After a few moments, Sara pulled herself out of the embrace, tears were running down her face, "You better get ready for work, or were going to be late."  
  
Nick brushed the tears from Sara's face with his thumb, "Ok. I'll be ready in five minutes." He leaned down and tenderly kissed her, the salty taste of tears on her lips. He got up from the couch and headed down the hallway to shower and dress for work.  
  
Sara sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself as she mulled over the serious nature of their conversation. Wiping tears away with the back of her hand, she got up off the couch and gathered her things so she would be ready to go when Nick was. 


	9. Work

Nick and Sara arrived at the CSI Lab early. As they walked toward the break room, they passed Grissom's office.  
  
The night shift supervisor glanced up as they passed by, "Nick. Sara. Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
They stopped and turned around, entering Grissom's office.  
  
Grissom removed his glasses and gestured toward the door, "Go ahead and close the door."  
  
Nick and Sara exchanged at glance and then took a seat in the chairs in front of Grissom's desk. Nick queried, "What's up, Gris?"  
  
Grissom rubbed his temple and then put his glasses back on, "I need to talk to you about what happened at Sara's apartment last night."  
  
"Ok," Sara replied.  
  
"Sara, do you know a Keith McCormick?" Grissom asked.  
  
Sara wrinkled her brow, "I don't think so. Why?"  
  
"You have a spare gun at home don't you?" Grissom continued.  
  
"Yeah, a 9mm Glock. I keep it in the table by my bed." Sara answered. "Why?"  
  
Grissom took a deep breath, "Bobby just finished the comparative analysis on the ballistics. We found a 9mm Glock in your apartment, and it's the same gun that killed the vic. The prints we found on the gun belong to a Keith McCormick."  
  
Sara went into professional mode, "So what happened, robbery gone bad. They found my gun and fought?"  
  
Grissom paused and looked over at Nick, who had remained silent. He then turned his attention back to Sara, "No. We believe the vic broke into your apartment, alone. Keith McCormick surprised him and shot him."  
  
Nick's expression narrowed as he studied Grissom. He knew there was something else going on here, but he hoped in his gut it wasn't what he thought it was.  
  
Sara had an exasperated expression on her face as she demanded, "Grissom, what are you not telling me?!"  
  
Grissom looked over at Nick before he turned back to Sara to answer her question. At the same time, Nick took Sara's hand. Grissom cleared his throat, "Keith McCormick is your next door neighbor. When we got the hit in AFIS, Brass went to question him. He confessed to everything. Brass has him in custody. But there's something else, Sara. He has pictures of you all over his apartment."  
  
Sara felt as if she had been hit in the stomach. The orange juice she drank earlier seemed to have a mind of it's own. Sara's eyes widened in horror and she covered her mouth in an attempt to not throw up. It wasn't working. She spied Grissom's waste basket and grabbed it just before she threw up.  
  
Nick looked crushed and concerned for Sara all at the same time. He knew the personal horror of having someone invade your personal space and he knew what Sara was going through now and what she would be going through. He reached out his hand to rub her back and began making soft soothing noises, "Sar, it's gonna be ok."  
  
Sara looked at Grissom with a fierce look in her eyes, "How did he know where my gun was, Gris?"  
  
Grissom closed his eyes for a moment and then let out a deep breath, "We think he's been in your apartment before, Sara."  
  
"Oh, no. No. NO!" Sara was visibly upset, so much so that she was shaking.  
  
Nick had one arm around her shoulder and held her hand with the other. "I'm here, Sar."  
  
Sara leaned her head on Nick's shoulder until she could compose herself. She sat up straight in the chair and put her game face on, "What about my apartment?"  
  
"Sara, you don't have to do this." Nick said gently.  
  
"Nick's right, Sara." Grissom began. "Right now it is still an active crime scene. You can't have access for a few more days at the earliest."  
  
Sara looked from Grissom to Nick, "I need to do this. I can't let some bastard make me afraid of my own home." Sara glanced at the clock, "Don't you need to hand out assignment, Gris? I'll meet you two in the break room." Sara got up and walked out of Grissom's office leaving the door open.  
  
Nick let out a deep sigh as he watched her go. He got up to leave.  
  
"Nick, take care of her. No one knows what she's going through more than you do." Grissom's tone was gentle.  
  
"I know, Gris. I will." Nick walked out of Grissom's office and head toward the break room in search of Sara. 


	10. The Case

Nick found Sara pacing in the break room. Warrick and Catherine hadn't arrived yet and she couldn't keep still. Despite her agitated state, Nick calmly walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. In the warmth of his embrace, Sara relaxed. Angry tears formed in her eyes, "Why, Nicky? Why? The sick bastard. What would have happened if I was home?"  
  
Nick rubbed her back and held her tightly, "Shh, Sara. You can't play 'what if'. You weren't there. You're going to be ok. I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere. Sara, I know this isn't easy, but I know you're gonna be ok."  
  
"I just feel so violated." Sara stated pulling away from him to look him in the eye.  
  
Nick looked into her eyes, his hands resting on her shoulders, and spoke softly, "I know, Sara. I know."  
  
With a serious expression on her face, Sara spoke hesitantly, "Nick, how did you, I mean, when Nigel Crane, I mean. Crap." She turned her face away for a moment before beginning again, "You didn't move."  
  
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "No, I didn't. But I'm not going to lie to you, Sara, there were times I was scared as hell. I had nightmares. Once in a while I still do. But you take it one day at a time. Sar, you can stay with me as long as you need to."  
  
"Thanks, Nick." Sara snaked her arms around his waist and hugged him. Nick put his arms protectively around her back and rested his cheek on her head. Sara pulled away, trying to put a smile on her face, "We better not do that here, we'll cause a scandal."  
  
Nick chuckled, "I think it might be a little late for that after our first date."  
  
Sara chuckled at the irony of it, "Yeah, bring me home to a crime scene and then take me home to stay with you indefinitely. Some first date."  
  
Grissom walked into the break room studying the two younger CSIs. He noted their more relaxed demeanor and unconsciously let out a sigh of relief, "Catherine and Warrick here yet?"  
  
Nick shook his head, "Haven't seen them yet, Gris."  
  
"Sara, I know you want to be on this case. I shouldn't let you, but if you can promise 'eyes no hands', I'll consent. Nick, you too. If it gets too much, your both out." Grissom cautioned.  
  
"Thanks, Gris." Sara replied, "I'll be fine. I need to know how this bastard got in."  
  
"I take it you told her, Grissom." Catherine queried as she and Warrick walked into the break room.  
  
Grissom turned to her and nodded, "Eyes. No hands."  
  
Catherine walked over to Sara, "Let me know if you need anything, Sara."  
  
"I'm fine." Sara replied trying to deflect any sentiment from the rest of the group.  
  
Grissom convened the briefing. He brought everyone up to speed on what the ballistics analysis had shown them, as well as what Brass had uncovered. The next task at hand was to comb through Sara's apartment and make sure there weren't any hidden cameras or listening devices. The previous shift, they had just concentrated on collecting evidence related to the vic they found in Sara's living room. The team took a divide and conquer approach. Catherine and Warrick took Sara's apartment and Grissom took Keith McCormick's apartment. Nick stayed with Sara as they walked through both scenes. In her apartment, she pointed out things that were out of place. Fortunately, there was no evidence of hidden cameras or listening devices in her apartment. Apparently, Keith McCormick wasn't as savvy as Nigel Crane had been. In the other apartment, Grissom had Sara look at the disturbing display of photos of her in various scenarios, coming and going from her apartment, in the field at crime scenes, in the grocery store parking lot. None of the photos showed her inside her apartment, but there was evidence that Keith McCormick had been in her apartment on more than one occasion. Things that Sara had simply thought she had misplaced were set up in a sort of shrine in his bedroom. The color seemed to drain from her face as she took it all in.  
  
Nick took her hand, "Hey, Sar. Let's take a break. Ok."  
  
She nodded numbly and followed him out of the apartment and into the parking lot. They walked over to his Tahoe and leaned against it. Sara looked over at him and asked in a pleading voice, "Nick, can we get out of here for a little while?"  
  
Nick nodded, "Let me just let Grissom know." He pulled out his cell phone rather than go back into the apartment and leave Sara alone, "Hey, Grissom, Sara and I are going to go and pick up some coffee. Yeah, I think so to. We'll be back in a little while. Ok. Thanks."  
  
Nick grinned at her, "What do you think? Krispy Kreme or Starbucks?"  
  
Sara cocked her head and smirked, "Nick Stokes, even in Vegas, Starbucks is closed by now."  
  
Nick chuckled, "Ok, Krispy Kreme it is." He opened the passenger door for Sara and then walked around to the other side and climbed behind the wheel. They threaded their way through the residential streets toward the Krispy Kreme donut shop near Sara's apartment. They pulled into the parking lot rather than going through the drive through. Nick turned off the ignition and looked over at Sara, "You doing ok?"  
  
Sara nodded and a slight smile played at her lips, "Yeah, I'm ok." She turned to look at him and a faint flush of color crept into her cheeks, "Nick?"  
  
"Yeah, Sar?" He replied, a curious expression on his face.  
  
The corners of her mouth turned up as she spoke, "I really want to kiss you right now."  
  
A lopsided grin formed on Nick's face as he took off his seatbelt. Sara unfastened hers as well and moved toward the center of the seat. They reached for each other hungrily. Lips touching, tongues tasting, fingers caressing. They broke apart after a few moments, grinning and a little short of breath. Wordlessly, they exited the SUV and headed into the donut shop hand in hand to get coffee and donuts for the rest of the team. 


	11. Coffee and Donuts

Nick and Sara returned to the scene about a half an hour after they had left bearing a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee for the rest of the team. When they pulled into the parking lot, Grissom, Warrick, and Catherine were standing in front of Grissom's Tahoe discussing the case.  
  
Warrick noted the distinct donut box first, "Nick, if you were a girl, I'd kiss you." He grabbed for the box, setting it on the hood of the Tahoe.  
  
Sara handed out the coffees and commented, "I'm glad he's not." She winked at Nick and he chuckled in return.  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow and smirked at Nick and Sara, "So, Sara, how was Nicky's guest room?"  
  
Sara tried to restrain a grin, "It was just fine, Catherine." A faint blush crept into her cheeks.  
  
Catherine took a sip of her coffee taking note of the slight color change in Sara's face, "That's great, Sara. Be sure to let us know if you get tired of Nick's hospitality."  
  
The double meaning of her comment was not lost on the rest of the group.  
  
Nick looked at Catherine and grinned, "Catherine Willows, you are an evil woman."  
  
Catherine gave him an innocent expression, "I don't know what you're talking about Nick."  
  
Warrick chuckled. Grissom just cleared his throat, "Can we get back to the investigation?"  
  
Catherine leveled at gaze at Grissom, "Grissom, we're on a break. By definition, it means we're taking a break from work."  
  
Nick cleared his throat, raised his eyebrows and looked directly at Catherine, "For the record, Sara slept in my guest room." He purposely left out the details of Sara's nightmare and her joining him in his room to sleep.  
  
Catherine took another sip of her coffee, "And where did you sleep, Nicky?"  
  
Sara tried to stifle a chuckle.  
  
Nick continued to look at Catherine, "In my bedroom." He took a bite out of his donut.  
  
Warrick was amused by the conversation and he silently chuckled at the banter between Nick and Catherine as he ate his third donut. He knew his friend well enough to know he wasn't telling the whole story, but he didn't want to endure the wrath of Sara by calling Nick on it in front of everyone.  
  
"Guys," Sara interjected, "Grissom's right. Let's get back to the case."  
  
"Warrick and Catherine, I want you to stay here and continue processing the scene. Nick and Sara I want you to meet me back at the lab. Sara, I'm going to need you to identify where the pictures from Keith McCormick's apartment were taken." Grissom assigned.  
  
The group finished up the last of their coffee and donuts and headed off in their assigned directions. Grissom drove off toward the lab, evidence bagged and in the rear of the vehicle.  
  
Nick walked toward his Tahoe, expecting Sara to follow. He turned and looked at her curiously, "You coming, Sara?"  
  
She smiled and shook her head as she replied, "I'm going to drive my Tahoe back to the lab. I'll meet you there."  
  
"Ok." Nick smiled and climbed into his Tahoe, expecting Sara to follow as he headed back to the lab.  
  
He stood in the parking lot for ten minutes waiting for Sara to show up when he began to get worried. He pulled out his cell phone and began to punch in her number. After a couple of rings, she picked up. "Hey, Sar. Where are you at? I was getting a little worried." Nick explained. He chuckled as she explained that she stopped at the store to pick up a tooth brush and some other personal items since she couldn't take anything out of her apartment. "Ok, I'll see you when you get here. I'm sorry. I guess I am a little bit of a worrier."  
  
He punched the end button on the phone and headed into the lab. A short time later, Sara pulled in and went in search of him and Grissom to begin the arduous task of identifying the photos and putting together a possible timeline. 


	12. Chinese Food

Sara poured over the photos a long time with Nick and Grissom. After a while she sort of detached herself from the reality of the situation and her professionalism kicked in. While Keith McCormick had readily confessed, they needed to make sure the evidence backed that up so it would hold up in a court of law. Evidentiary procedure was almost as important as collecting the evidence itself. Sloppy collection and handling practices had lost more than one case in court, and the LVDP CSI Lab wasn't second in the country by accident. They worked hard at making sure their collection of evidence was detailed and accurate.  
  
Sara started rubbing her temples. She could feel a headache coming on. She realized that all she had eaten since she got up was a glass of orange juice, which now probably made Grissom's trash can smell to high heaven, a cup of coffee and half of a Krispy Kreme donut.  
  
Nick looked at her with interest, but it was Grissom who spoke first, "Sara, why don't you take a break, shift's almost over."  
  
Sara continued rubbing he temples and looked up, "Ok."  
  
Nick looked over at her, "Sara, have you eaten anything besides that donut earlier?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
Grissom interjected, "I've got money in the budget for some meals. Nick, why don't you order some takeout. None of us has eaten much the last 24 hours. Warrick and Catherine should be back soon and I think all of us could use something to eat."  
  
Nick nodded, "Ok, Gris." He turned his attention to Sara, "Hey, Sar, why don't you come with me." He smiled at her.  
  
Sara nodded, "Ok."  
  
The pair of CSIs walked out of the layout room and headed for the break room in search of a takeout menu as well as a change of scenery.  
  
Twenty-five minutes later, Warrick and Catherine had returned from processing the scene. The Chinese takeout had arrived and Greg had joined the rest of the night shift team in the break room. There was a volley of banter around the table typical of people who were comfortable in each other's presence.  
  
Greg looked over at Nick and Sara, a regretful smile crossed his face, "So, Sara, I hear you and Nicky boy went on a hot date."  
  
Sara tried to restrain a full grin.  
  
Nick interjected, "Any date with Sara would be hot, simply because she' Sara."  
  
Sara blushed as Nick looked at her appreciatively. She winked at him.  
  
"No argument there, man," Greg responded, "I just wish it was me." Greg looked over at Catherine, "So, Catherine, looks like it's just you and me." Greg waggled his eyebrows.  
  
Warrick chuckled, Nick laughed, Sara grinned, Grissom wore an annoyed look on his face, and Catherine just replied, "In your dreams, Greg."  
  
"I'll take what I can get." He smirked and put another bite of Moo Shoo Pork in his mouth. He looked over at Sara again, "So, Sara, how was that first date?"  
  
Sara smirked and replied, "I'll let you know when it's over, Greg. Nick hasn't taken me home yet." She winked at Nick.  
  
Nick just grinned at Sara and popped some sweet and sour chicken into his mouth before winking back.  
  
Greg's jaw hung open slightly.  
  
Warrick gestured toward Greg, "Hey, Sanders, you might want to close your mouth, you're going to start attracting flies."  
  
A sly grin crossed Catherine's face.  
  
Grissom tried to suppress a half smile and shook his head.  
  
By the time the group had finished eating, shift had been over for a hour. Grissom headed back to the layout room, Catherine went home to check on Lindsey, Warrick headed home to get some sleep, and Greg mentioned something about trying to find a hot chick at Western LVU where he tutored chemistry students. Nick and Sara walked out into the parking lot in the morning sun. Sara decided just to ride with Nick back to his house and leave her Tahoe at the lab.  
  
As they walked into Nick's house, Sara headed straight for the couch and let out a deep sigh as she sat down. Nick followed her into the living room and leaned his shoulder into the back of the couch as he sat facing her, "You doing ok, Sara?"  
  
She rubbed her forehead with her hand, "Just a lot of stuff to process Nick. He's been watching me since I moved into my apartment and I had no idea."  
  
Nick placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with concern in his eyes, "Why don't you get some sleep, Sara?"  
  
She laid her head back on the couch and looked over at him, placing a hand on his knee, "I know I should, Nick, but I'm afraid to."  
  
An understanding look crossed Nick's face as he pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. His hands stroked her back and he felt tears dampen his shirt as Sara buried her face in his shoulder. "It's ok, Sara."  
  
Sara pulled away to look at Nick. He smiled at her and reached over to brush the tears from her face. A faint smile tugged at her mouth. She took Nick's hand in hers and looked down at their fingers intertwining. She looked back up at him, "Thanks, Nick."  
  
"You're welcome." He smiled at her. He reached up and ran a finger down her cheek. He leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Sara's hand reached up and cupped his cheek as she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Nick encircled her waist with his free arm and his lips parted as his tongue teased her lips, which tasted faintly of soy sauce and ginger. Sara parted her lips and their tongues danced slowly, deliberately. As they broke the kiss, Sara rested her head on Nick's chest. They sat there, arms entwined, enjoying being close to one another and fell asleep. 


	13. Talking to Warrick

Nick woke with his fingers tangled in Sara's hair, and an arm around her waist. She rested atop him, her head on his shoulder, an arm draped across his chest. Their legs were tangled together. Light softly filtered into the living room through the cracks of the heavy wooden blinds onto the couch where they lay. He wasn't sure what time it was, and he didn't want to wake Sara. Her breathing was steady and even. He glanced at his watch. 4:00pm. He laid his head back down and closed his eyes. They still had a hour before they would really need to wake up and get ready for work.  
  
Sara felt Nick stir beneath her. Her body willed her to stay asleep, her mind becoming more alert. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she realized that their bodies were tangled together. She felt Nick relax again, and she tried to suppress a grin. As she became more alert, her eyes fluttered open. She gazed at her hand as it rested on Nick's chest. She couldn't help but draw lazy circles on his chest with her fingers.  
  
A smile formed on Nick's lips as he realized that Sara was awake. His hand stroke her hair and he turned his head and kissed her on the forehead, "Did you sleep ok?"  
  
"Yeah," She answered, shifting her weight to prop herself up on his chest. She looked down at him smiling.  
  
Nick's hand reached up and cupped her cheek, sliding back into her hair as he pulled her down for a kiss. They tasted each others lips slowly, sensuously. Neither wanting to break contact for very long.  
  
Sara finally broke the kiss and looked down at Nick, her fingers tracing his lips, "Hey, we should get up and get ready for work."  
  
Nick smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "We have some time." He pulled her down for another kiss. This one deeper than the one before. Nick's hand grazed her side and Sara started to giggle.  
  
She dissolved into fits of laughter as Nick began tickling her, "Nick Stokes, stop it! No fair." She tried to get away from his hands as they continued their quest to tickle her. She ended up falling off the couch and pulling Nick along with her since their legs were still tangled.  
  
Nick gave up tickling her and they both lay on the floor laughing, finally untangled, "Ok, I'll stop." He sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees and looked down at Sara, "You want the shower first?"  
  
She rolled to a seated position, "Yeah, thanks." She stood up and offered Nick her hand to help him stand. As he stood she leaned up and kissed him briefly, "I'll be out in a few minutes."  
  
An hour later, Nick and Sara walked into the lab hand in hand. As they walked down the hall they noticed that Grissom was in his office with the door closed. They headed to the locker room to stow their gear in their lockers.  
  
Sara hung her jacket up and immediately felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. A smile formed on her lips. Nick pressed his lips on her neck and peppered it with tiny, ticklish kisses. Sara giggled and turned in his embrace. She snaked her arms around his neck. Nick pulled her body against his and began trailing kisses up her jaw until his lips met hers in a passion infused kiss. Sara's fingers played at the nape of his neck. She stepped back and leaned against the bay of lockers, pulling him with her. He pressed his body into her and their tongues began exploring and tasting. Conscious thought seemed to slip away as they became lost in each other and the moment. Only the need for air pulled them apart.  
  
Panting, Sara confessed, "You have no idea how much I wanted to do this the other day."  
  
Nick smiled and added trying to catch his breath, "Me too." His lips pressed hers again, this kiss more intense than the first. A moan escaped Sara's throat. Nick was faintly aware that he made a similar sound. Only the sensations of touch and taste seemed to exist as they continued kissing and caressing.  
  
The door to the locker room creaked shut. Nick and Sara broke their kiss, panting, and looked over as Warrick entered. "I take it the date's not over yet." He commented with a bemused grin.  
  
Nick and Sara released their hold on each other and stepped apart with embarrassed smiles. Nick cleared his throat, "Hey, Warrick."  
  
Sara leaned back against the bay of lockers, crossing her arms in front of herself trying to suppress a grin, "Hey, War."  
  
"I'd tell you guys to get a room, but from the looks of it I'd say you already have." Warrick commented wryly.  
  
Sara cleared her throat, "I'll meet you guys in the break room." She looked at Nick briefly and then left.  
  
Nick shook his head at Warrick, "It's not like that, man. Trust me, Sara's hot, but we haven't slept together."  
  
Warrick just raised a curious eyebrow.  
  
A lopsided grin formed on Nick's face, "Ok, so not in the way you think."  
  
"So you admit, you're sharing a bed." Warrick inquired.  
  
"Not exactly." Nick replied.  
  
A befuddled expression crossed Warrick's face.  
  
"She had a nightmare after what happened at her apartment. She woke me up and I let her sleep with me. All we did was sleep. When we got home after shift this morning, we fell asleep on the couch." Nick explained to his friend.  
  
"Your reputation's slipping, man." Warrick teased.  
  
Nick looked at him with a serious expression on his face, "I don't care about my reputation, Warrick. I care about Sara." 


	14. Fast Forward

A week later, Sara's apartment was finally released as a crime scene. Understandably, she decided she didn't want to stay. After the nightmares that she'd been having while sleeping at Nick's she didn't want to be reminded of blood spatter every time she walked in the door. Her apartment manager was quite understanding and readily let her out of her lease. Sara and Nick talked and they decided that it probably wasn't the wisest idea for her to move in with him permanently, since they had both decided they didn't want to rush into having sex, and with her there all the time it was making it increasingly difficult for both of them.  
  
Sara found a new apartment not too far from Nick's house. She made the move on a Sunday afternoon with Nick and Warrick's help.  
  
Over the next few weeks, she had an occasional nightmare, but after a phone call to Nick, she could usually go back to sleep.  
  
The pair was trying to take their relationship a bit slower than it had started out and had imposed some limitations on themselves. For starters, they didn't want to be caught making out in the locker room again after Warrick had walked in on them. They also decided that it wasn't a good idea to sleep at each others houses if they weren't ready to take the physical part of their relationship to the next level. They wanted to retain the confidence that Grissom and the rest of the team had in them on a professional level, so they worked at leaving their relationship at the door when it came to investigating crime scenes. There was the occasional slip of the tongue when Nick would call Sara gorgeous, or when Sara would give Nick a brief kiss on the lips in the locker room, but overall, they kept themselves under control.  
  
Six months after Nick and Sara's first date, Nick stood in the locker room stowing his jacket and duffle bag into his locker. He was getting ready to head to the break room for his evening assignment when Warrick walked in. "Hey, man. How are things going?"  
  
Nick looked over at Warrick and grinned, "Couldn't be better, Warrick."  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow at his friend, "You're a little too happy."  
  
Nick leaned toward Warrick in a conspiratorial manner, "I got Sara something. Want to see?"  
  
Both of Warrick's eyebrows shot up and a chuckle escaped his throat, "You didn't?!"  
  
"He didn't what?" Catherine asked as she walked in.  
  
Nick just grinned with an overly please expression on his face.  
  
Catherine took in Nick's appearance and a sly grin crossed her face, "What did you do, Nicky?"  
  
Nick continued grinning as he reached into his locker and pulled out a box. He handed it to Catherine, "I got this for Sara."  
  
Catherine's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open slightly before she looked up a Nick and grinned. "Can I take a look?"  
  
"Yeah, she's off tonight, so I think it's safe." Nick replied.  
  
Catherine opened the box to reveal a velvet jeweler's box. She opened the smaller box to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Nick, this is gorgeous. She's going to love it. When did you pick this out?" Catherine looked up at him inquisitively.  
  
As Nick took the box back and stowed it back into his locker he replied, "Actually, Catherine, it belonged to my grandmother. When I went home to visit last month, I told her that I was thinking about asking Sara to marry me. She insisted I give it to her. She really loves Sara."  
  
Warrick who was still trying to process that two of his best friends were going to get married finally asked, "When are you going to ask her, Nick?"  
  
"Ask who what?" Grissom walked into the locker room with a curious expression, wondering why none of the team was assembled in the break room yet.  
  
Nick turned to Grissom, "I'm going to ask Sara to marry me."  
  
A grin spread across Grissom's face, "Congratulations, Nick."  
  
Nick looked at the three other CSIs, "I was hoping you all would help me though. I want to do something special and I don't want her to get suspicious. It was all I could do to convince her to not come in on her night off so I could talk to you all. Fortunately, her college roommate is in town, so their going out for a while, but she'll probably show up later."  
  
Warrick chuckled, "I'm in. Just let me know what you want me to do man."  
  
"Hell, yeah," Catherine smiled.  
  
Grissom nodded, "Whatever you need, Nick, just let me know. I'd be pleased to help."  
  
A look of relief crossed Nick's face as he smiled at his friends.  
  
Grissom brought them back to the moment, "I need to give out assignments. Greg's joining us tonight, so we need to head back to the break room."  
  
With that the night shift began.  
  
. 


	15. DB in the Desert

Nick and Sara had a rare night off together. They were sitting in Nick's living room getting ready to watch a movie when Sara's cell phone went off. "Sidle," Sara answered. "Hey, Grissom," A disappointed look crossed her face, "What about Catherine and Warrick? Oh. Greg? Oh. No, he's here with me, remember, we both asked for the night off? Just a minute." She looked over at Nick, "Grissom says they've got a db in the desert and he wants you and me to take it. Apparently, everyone else is already on a case for the night."  
  
A frown crossed Nick's face, "Doesn't he realize we haven't had a night off together in a while?"  
  
Sara grinned at him, "He knows."  
  
Nick grinned back at her, "Tell him we'll be right there."  
  
Sara let Grissom know they'd head out immediately. They turned the lights off at Nick's and headed out to Sara's Tahoe. They wove their way out into the desert and up into the hills to meet Grissom. On the way Nick remained quiet as Sara sang along to the radio. A smile tugged at his lips as he listened to her sing. She didn't think so, be he thought she had a nice singing voice. He remembered how last month they had visited his family in Texas and how she joined in when his mother insisted on doing a sing along. His family adored Sara. He adored her. A grin broke over his face.  
  
Sara happened to look over at him as he smiled, "Why are you grinning, Mr. Stokes." She continued glancing at him as she drove.  
  
Nick looked at her and replied, "Just enjoying you sing and thinking about how much fun I had with you in Texas."  
  
Sara smiled, "Your family is great, Nick. I enjoyed being there."  
  
"They love you, you know." Nick stated reaching over to hold her hand.  
  
Sara grinned squeezing his hand, "Well, I love you, Nick Stokes."  
  
"And I love you, Sara Sidle." Nick caressed her hand with his thumb.  
  
As they approached the scene, Sara wrinkled her brow, "This looks familiar."  
  
She pulled the Tahoe alongside Grissom's and turned off the ignition. Sara and Nick exited the vehicle and walked up to Grissom who was talking to Brass near the detective's Taurus. Sara questioned, "What do we have?"  
  
Grissom looked up and gave Nick and Sara a half grin as they approached, "I'm glad you're here. It's all yours; I've been called out to a hit and run. Brass will fill you in."  
  
"Thanks, Gris," Nick replied as Grissom walked back to his Tahoe.  
  
Brass looked at the pair of young CSIs and gave them a sardonic grin, "Down there by the bluff. Scene's all yours. I'll be over here, downwind."  
  
Sara looked at Brass quizzically, "Decomp?"  
  
Nick looked at Sara, "No time like the present." As they walked toward the bluff, Nick looked back at Brass and gave him a thumbs up sign.  
  
Sara reached the edge of the bluff first. She turned to look at Nick, mini mag-light in hand, "I don't see anything, did we come the wrong way?" Sara began to turn around to retrace their steps.  
  
Nick grinned at her and grabbed her by the wrist to stop her. "Sara."  
  
She turned back toward him, "What?"  
  
He led her to the edge of the bluff, "Look down there." He flicked his mini mag-light on, then off again.  
  
Suddenly, lights flickered on about 10 feet down the bluff. A sign made out of plywood with Christmas lights mounted on it spelled out, "Marry Me?"  
  
Sara turned to look at Nick with a quizzical expression on her face. He stood there grinning at her in the moonlight. "Sara, there is no crime scene."  
  
Shock registered on her face as she realized what was happening.  
  
He took her hand and dropped to one knee. He pulled out his grandmother's engagement ring and held it out to her, "Sara Sidle, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Sara, will you marry me?"  
  
Sara couldn't seem to remember how to form words. All she could manage was to nod. Nick slipped the ring on her finger and stood up. He caressed the sides of her face with his fingers and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. As they broke the kiss, Sara finally managed, "You just asked me to marry you."  
  
Nick nodded.  
  
Sara continued, "And I said yes."  
  
Nick nodded again, letting out a chuckle.  
  
A wide grin broke over Sara's face and she let out a scream, wrapping her arms around Nick's neck, pulling him down for another kiss.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Nick yelled out, "She said yes!"  
  
A smattering applause rang out. Sara giggled, "You had a little help, didn't you?"  
  
Nick kissed her on the forehead, "Yeah, pretty much everyone is here."  
  
Sara looked around and then looked back at Nick, "This is where we went on our first date, isn't it?"  
  
Nick leaned down and kissed her again, murmuring against her lips, "Yeah."  
  
As they broke the kiss, Sara suggested, "Why don't we go somewhere that we don't have an audience, Mr. Stokes."  
  
He chuckled. They walked back toward the Tahoe and were met with more applause as Catherine, Grissom, Warrick, Greg, and Brass all stood there with smiles on their faces. The group surrounded the couple and offered congratulatory hugs and handshakes.  
  
"Thanks, you guys, I owe you." Nick stated gratefully. Cell phones started going off and the rest of the CSI team headed off to different crime scenes. Nick and Sara made their way back to Nick's house in Sara's Tahoe.  
  
As they pulled into the driveway, Nick reached over and took her hand, "Did you look at the ring?"  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, it's beautiful, Nick. I've never seen anything quite like it."  
  
"That's because it's one of a kind," Nick replied, "It was my grandmothers. When we were in Texas last month, I told her I was going to ask you to marry me. She wanted you to have it."  
  
"Oh, Nick!" Sara had tears running down her face. Nick pulled her into a hug and grinned.  
  
Nick's cell phone rang. He pulled away from Sara and answered it, "Stokes." He looked over at Sara. "Ok, we'll be right there." He ended the call and turned to Sara, "Grissom needs us for real this time."  
  
She looked over at him and chuckled, "Ok, where to?" 


	16. Finally

The sound of the wind chimes on the porch drifted in on the breeze softly blowing through the open window of the cabin. Sara drew lazy circles on Nick's bare chest as she lay in the comfort of his embrace. Nick's fingers stroked Sara's hair. Sara smiled as she spoke, "I can't believe we're really here."  
  
Nick chuckled, "Me either. You were so worth the wait."  
  
The last few months had been a whirlwind. They barely had an evening off together and when they did, Grissom seemed to always need one or both of them on a case. In the midst of that though, they had managed to plan a wedding.  
  
Catherine had been an immense help to Sara. They managed to get a designer wedding gown at half the price. And on Sara's willowy frame, the gown was mesmerizing. Nick was speechless as he watched her walk down the aisle.  
  
Could anyone have been more handsome than Nick as he stood there waiting for Sara next to the minister? Sara didn't think so. All eyes were on the bride and groom who only had eyes for each other.  
  
Nick's parents had insisted on renting out a prestigious country club in Vegas for the wedding. His entire family had come from Texas and his grandmother kept dabbing at her eyes throughout the ceremony as Nick and Sara pledged their vows to each other.  
  
Sara's parents had come in from San Francisco. Her brother and his wife almost didn't make it. Their plane had engine trouble and almost had to turn around and land in LA, but they made it in time.  
  
Sara had Catherine stand in as her maid of honor, and Nick had Warrick as his best man. Lindsey and one of Nick's nephews made up the rest of the small wedding party as flower girl and ring bearer.  
  
Nick chuckled.  
  
Sara turned her head to look at him, "What's so funny, Nicky?"  
  
He grinned at her, "I was just thinking about how Grissom caught the garter."  
  
Sara giggled, "Yeah, the look on his face was priceless."  
  
Nick's fingers trailed up and down Sara's bare back, "Nice touch throwing the bouquet at Catherine."  
  
"I just think the two of them could use a good shove." Sara concluded.  
  
A large smile had spread across Catherine's face as Sara had flung the bouquet at her. And a wry grin had crossed it when she had seen how Nick made sure Grissom caught the garter, which was no small fete considering how many nephews he had.  
  
Nick's fingers trailed down to Sara's hip. "You know, I can think of much more interesting things to do than talk about our coworkers."  
  
Sara grinned and allowed her fingers to trail down his chest, coming to rest just above his belly button. "Really? Like what?"  
  
Nick's fingers caressed her waist, "Oh, I don't know. We've got a week alone in this cabin with no cell phones."  
  
"Hmm, so it's doubtful we'll be interrupted by Grissom." Sara observed, her fingers tracing his belly button.  
  
"Or anyone else for that matter." Nick grinned and rolled onto his side, pushing Sara onto her back.  
  
Sara looked up at her husband, and grinned back, "Hmm. So far I'm really liking this scenario." Her fingers reached up and caressed his cheek.  
  
Nick's fingers fanned out over her tiny waist, his thumb caressing her belly button. He grinned devilishly and his fingers began to lightly graze her bare side and she began to squirm as giggles broke out.  
  
Between giggles, Sara managed to blurt out, "Nick Stokes, that tickles!"  
  
Nick rolled on top of her and pinned her to the mattress as he continued tickling her. Sara finally managed to grab one of his hands, lacing her fingers with his. Her other hand cupped the nape of his neck, fingers playing at his short hair. As her giggles subsided, she looked up at him with a mischievous expression, "Mmm, that's not really what I had in mind, Mr. Stokes."  
  
Nick grinned at her, "What did you have in mind, Mrs. Stokes?"  
  
"Oh, something more like this," Sara pulled Nick down for a kiss.  
  
"I like how you think," Nick replied, deepening the kiss. Their lips parted and they allowed their tongues to explore and dance. Hands slowly caressed bare skin, a peppering of kisses followed. Fingers caressed and explored, guided by cries of pleasure. Nick's hands gripped Sara's hips; their legs tangling in an intimate embrace as their bodies became one.  
  
The sound of wind chimes on the porch drifted in through the open window as the newlyweds lay entwined in each others arms, spent from the bliss they had just shared.  
  
~*~*~* The End *~*~*~ 


End file.
